Table Of ContentFUNDAMENTALS
OF
MARXISM LENINISM
Manual
SECOND REVISED EDITION
F L P H
OREIGN ANGUAGES UBLISHING OUSE
Moscow 1963
TRANSLATED FROM THE RUSSIAN
EDITED BY CLEMENS DUTT
CONTENTS
Page
Preface to the Second Edition ..................................................................................... 13
The Marxist-Leninist World Outlook. Introductory Remarks .................................... 15
PART ONE
THE PHILOSOPHICAL FOUNDATIONS OF THE
MARXIST-LENINIST WORLD OUTLOOK
Chapter 1. Philosophical Materialism ..................................................................... 20
1. The Development of Progressive Materialist Science in Struggle Against
Reaction and Ignorance ................................................................................... 20
2. Materialism and Idealism ................................................................................. 21
Spontaneous Materialism—22. Materialism—a Progressive Philosophy—23.
Dialectical and Historical Materialism—the Highest Stage in the Development
of Philosophical Thought—25.
3. The Philosophical Concept of Matter ............................................................... 27
4. Universal Forms of the Existence of the Material World ................................. 29
Eternal Motion in Nature—29. Forms of Motion of Matter —29. Space and
Time—30. Attempts to Deny the Objective Existence of Space and Time—31.
5. Consciousness—a Property of Matter Organised in a Special Way ................. 32
Thinking—a Result of the Evolution of Living Matter—32. The Role of Labour
and Speech in the Development of Human Thought—34. Consciousness as a
Property of the Brain—35.
6. Opponents of Philosophical Materialism ......................................................... 36
Objective Idealism—37. Subjective Idealism—38. The Attempt to Lay Down
a “Third" Line in Philosophy—39. Roots of Idealism—41.
7. Contemporary Bourgeois Philosophy ............................................................... 42
Philosophy Against Reason—43. Pseudo-“Philosophy of Science”—45.
Revival of Medieval Scholasticism—48.
8. Towards a Scientific World Outlook ................................................................ 50
Chapter 2. Materialist Dialectics ............................................................................. 53
1. The Universal Connection of Phenomena ........................................................ 55
The Connection of Cause and Effect—56. Against the Idealist Conception of
Causality—56. Interaction—58. Necessity and Law—59. Necessity and
Accident—60. Determinism and Modern Science—61.
2. Quantitative and Qualitative Change in Nature and Society ............................ 62
Qualitative and Quantitative Definiteness of Things—63. Quantitative Changes
Turn into Qualitative Ones—64. What Is a Leap?—65, Against the
Metaphysical Notion of Development—66.
3. Division into Opposites Is the Chief Source of Development .......................... 67
A Note on the History of Dialectics—67. Dialectical Contradiction and Its
Universal Character—68. Development as the Struggle of Opposites—69.
Contradiction Is Always Concrete—71. Antagonistic and Non-Antagonistic
Contradictions—71. Bourgeois Ideologists Distort Dialectics—73.
4. Dialectical Development from the Lower to the Higher .................................. 73
Dialectical Negation—74. Continuity in Development—75. The Progressive
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Nature of Development—75.
5. Dialectics as a Method of Cognition and Transformation of the World .......... 77
Importance of Dialectics for Science and Practice—77. The Creative
Application of Dialectics—78.
Chapter 3. The Theory of Knowledge ....................................................................... 80
1. Practice Is the Basis and Purpose of Cognition ................................................ 80
The Unity of Theory and Practice—93.
2. Knowledge Is the Reflection of the Objective World ..................................... 84
Against Agnosticism—96.
3. The Theory of Truth ......................................................................................... 86
Objective Truth—87. The Process of Cognition—87. Sensations Are Images of Things
and of Their Properties—87. Thought Is Cognition of the Essence of Phenomena—89.
Infinite Cognition of the Infinite World—90. Absolute and Relative Truth—91. The
Dialectical Unity of Absolute and Relative Truth—93. Truth Is Concrete—94.
Importance of the Marxist Theory of Truth for Science and Practice—95.
4. Practice Is the Criterion of Truth ...................................................................... 96
Pragmatism Is the "Philosophy of Advantageousness”—98.
5. Necessity and Human Freedom ........................................................................ 99
PART TWO
THE MATERIALIST CONCEPTION OF HISTORY
Chapter 4. The Essence of Historical Materialism .............................................. 102
1 A Revolutionary Upheaval in Man’s View of Society .................................... 102
2. The Mode of Production as the Material Basis of the Life of Society ........... 104
How Production Develops—106. Interaction of Productive Forces and
Production Relations—106.
3. Basis and Superstructure ................................................................................ 108
4. History as the Development and Change of Socio-Economic Formations .... 110
The Primitive-Communal System—110. The Slave System—112. The Feudal
System—114. The Capitalist System—116. The Socialist System—117.
5. Laws of History and Man's Conscious Activity ............................................. 118
How Social Laws Operate—118. The Role of Ideas in the Development
of Society—120. Spontaneity and Consciousness in Social Development—121.
Mastery of the Laws of Social Development—123.
6. Bankruptcy of Bourgeois Sociology .............................................................. 124
Fear of the Laws of History—124. Description Instead of Explanation—124.
The Search for a Generalising Theory—125.
7. The Significance of the Materialist Conception of History for Other
Social Sciences and for Social Practice ......................................................... 127
Historical Materialism and the Social Sciences—127. Scientific Prevision—128.
Historical Materialism and the Practical Activity of the Working-Class
Movement—129.
Chapter 5. Classes, Class Struggle and the State ................................................. 131
1. The Essence of Class Distinctions and of the Relations Between Classes ..... 131
Class and Nation—132. Division of Society into Classes Is a Historically
Transient Phenomenon—133. Class Structure of Society—134. Classes of
Bourgeois Society—35.
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2. The State as an Instrument of Class Domination ........................................... 137
Origin and Essence of the State—137. Types and Forms of State—138.
The Bourgeois State—139.
3. The Class Struggle as the Driving Force of the Development of an
Exploiting Society ......................................................................................... 140
The Law of Class Struggle—140. Social Revolution—141. The Character and
Driving Forces of Social Revolutions—142. Creative Role of the Social
Revolution—142.
4. The Basic Forms of the Class Struggle of the Proletariat ............................... 144
Economic Struggle—144, Ideological Struggle—15. Political Struggle—147.
Proletarian Revolution—148.
Chapter 6. The Role of the Masses and the Individual in History ..................... 153
1. The Masses Are the Makers of History .......................................................... 153
The Production Activity of the Masses Is the Decisive Factor in the Life and
Development of Society—154. The Masses in Politics—154. Role of the Masses
in the Development of Culture—155. Significance of the Marxist Thesis of the
Decisive Role of the Masses in History—157.
2. The Role of the Individual in History ............................................................. 158
Individual Leadership Is an Essential Element of the Historical Process—158.
What Is the Source of the Strength of Outstanding Historical Figures?—159.
Social Need and Great Men—160. The Cult of the Individual Contradicts
Marxism-Leninism—161.
3. The Role of the Masses in Socio-Political Life at the Present Time .............. 164
Growth of the Role of the Masses in Politics—165. The Masses Are the
Decisive Political Force of Modern Times—165.
Chapter 7. Social Progress ..................................................................................... 169
1. The Progressive Character of Social Development ........................................ 169
Criteria of Progress—169. The Ideology of the Imperialist Bourgeoisie is
Hostile to Progress—171.
2. Social Progress in an Exploiting Society and Under Socialism ..................... 173
Contradictions of Progress Under Capitalism—174. Progress Under Socialism—176.
3. Marxism-Leninism and the Ideals of Social Progress .................................... 177
PART THREE
POLITICAL ECONOMY OF CAPITALISM
Introduction ............................................................................................................... 181
Chapter 8. Pre-Monopoly Capitalism ............................................................. 184
1. The Rise of Capitalist Relations ..................................................................... 184
2. Commodity Production. Commodities. Law of Value and
Money........................................................................ 185
Commodity—185. Labour Embodied in Commodities—186. Money—187.
Law of Value—188.
3. The Theory of Surplus-Value Is the Corner-Stone of Marx's
Economic Doctrine ........................................................................................ 189
Production of Surplus-Value—190. Capitalist Exploitation—191.
Capital—191.
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4. Wages ............................................................................................................. 193
5. Growth of Profit—Aim and Limit of Capitalist Production ........................... 195
Average Profit—195. Price of Production—196. Profit of Enterprise and
Interest—197. Profit Is a Limitation of Capitalist Production—198.
6. Capitalist Development .................................................................................. 198
Ground-Rent—198. Rent and the Ruin of Small and Middle
Peasants—200.
7. Reproduction of Social Capital and Economic Crises .................................... 200
Economic Crises of Over-Production—202.
8. The General Law of Capitalist Accumulation ................................................ 204
Worsening of the Position of the Working Class—205. Historical Tendency of
Capitalist Accumulation—206.
Chapter 9. Imperialism, the Highest and Last Stage of Capitalism ................... 208
1. Imperialism as Monopoly Capitalism ............................................................ 208
Concentration of Production and Monopolies—208. Finance Capital—211.
Export of Capital—213. Formation of International Monopoly Alliances—215.
Territorial Division of the World—215.
2. Imperialism Is Parasitic or Decaying Capitalism .......................................... 217
Tendency to Retardation of the Growth of Productive Forces—217.
Growth of a Stratum of Rentiers—219. Political Reaction—219.
The “Labour Aristocracy”—220.
3. Imperialism Is Moribund Capitalism .............................................................. 221
Creating the Material Prerequisites of Socialism—221. Sharpening of the
Contradictions of Capitalism—222. Law of Uneven Economic and Political
Development—222.
4. The Beginning of the General Crisis of Capitalism ...................................... 224
Chapter 10. Present-Day Imperialism .................................................................. 227
1. Further Development of the General Crisis of Capitalism ............................. 227
2. State-Monopoly Capitalism ............................................................................ 229
Transformation of Monopoly Capitalism into State-Monopoly Capitalism—229.
Mechanism of Modern State-Monopoly Capitalism—232. Militarisation of the
Economy—234. Capitalist Nationalisation and State Capitalism—237. Myths of
Revisionists and Reformists About Present-Day Capitalism—239.
3. Is Capitalism Getting Rid of Economic Crises? ............................................. 242
Anti-Crisis Measures Are Merely a Palliative Against Capitalism’s Incurable
Illness—242. Bankruptcy of the Theory of “Crisis-Free Development”
of Capitalism—245.
4. Aggravation and Extension of Class Antagonisms ........................................ 246
Working Class and Capital—246. Other Classes of Present-Day
Bourgeois Society—250.
5. The Final Rung in the Historical Ladder of Capitalism ................................. 253
PART FOUR
THEORY AND TACTICS OF THE INTERNATIONAL
COMMUNIST MOVEMENT
Chapter 11. The Historic Mission of the Working Class ................... 257
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1. The Working Class Is the Liberator of the Working People .................. 257
2. Growth of the Importance of the Working Class and of Its Social
and Political Role ......................................................................................... 259
Increase in the Numbers of the Working Class—259. The Most Organised and
Politically Conscious Class—261.
3. Community of Interests of the Working Class and All Working People ....... 262
The Working Class Is the Leading Force in the Struggle of the People for
Liberation from Capitalist Oppression—263.
4. Internationalism Is a Source of the Strength of the Working-Class
Movement ...................................................................................................... 264
International Nature of the Working-Class Movement—264. International
Solidarity of the Working People—266.
5. Obstacles and Difficulties Hindering the Development of the
Working-Class Movement ........................................................................................ 267
The Split in the Working-Class Movement—269.
6. A Class of Fighters, a Class of Builders ........................................................ 270
The Struggle of the Working Class for Its Immediate Economic Interests—270.
Leading Force in All Democratic Movements—272. The Working Class Is the Hope of
Progressive Humanity—273.
Chapter 12. The Great October Socialist Revolution—a Turning-Point
in the History of Mankind ............................................................................... 275
1. The Vanguard Role of the Russian Working Class ........................................ 275
2. The World’s First Socialist Revolution .......................................................... 278
Transition from the Bourgeois-Democratic to the Socialist Revolution—278.
How the Russian Proletariat Shattered the Old Dogmas Concerning the
Impossibility of a Socialist Revolution—280. The Communist Party at the
Head of the Revolution—281. First Socialist State in History—282.
3. Powerful Impulse to the Revolutionary Working-Class Movement
in Other Countries ........................................................................................ 283
4. Influence of the October Revolution on the National-Liberation
Movement ...................................................................................................... 284
5. The Vanguard and Bulwark of the World Socialist Movement ..................... 286
Chapter 13. The Marxist-Leninist Party and Its Role in the Workers’
Class Struggle ........................................................................................................... 288
1. What Party Does the Working Class Need? ................................................... 288
Revolutionary Character of a Marxist Party—288. Vanguard of the Working
Class and All Working People—290.
2. Democratic Centralism in the Structure and Life of the Party ....................... 291
Party Democracy and Leadership—292. Freedom of Discussion and
Unity of Action—293.
3. The Living Ties of the Party with the Broad Masses ..................................... 295
It Is Not Enough to Proclaim the Leading Role of the Party, It Has to Be
Won—295. To Work Wherever There Are Masses—296. To Lead the Masses
and Learn from the Masses—298.
4. Marxist-Leninist Policy as Science and Art .................................................. 298
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On Political Strategy and Tactics—299. The Art of Political Leadership—301.
The Ability to Find the Main Link—303.
5. The Need to Fight Right-Wing Opportunism and Sectarianism .................... 304
The Danger of Revisionism—304. Dogmatism and Sectarianism Lead to
Isolation from the Masses—306.
6. International Character of the Communist Movement ................................... 307
Chapter 14. Policy of Unity of Action of the Working Class and All
Democratic Forces of the People ..................................................................... 311
1. Unity of the Working Class Is the Imperative Need at the Present Time ....... 311
What Is the Policy of Unity of Action?—311. What Unity of Action Would
Give—313.
2. Who Hampers the Establishment of Working-Class Unity of Action ............ 313
The Excuses of the Enemies of Unity—314. Anti-Communism—Slogan of
Reactionary Splitters—317.
3. Ways and Means of Attaining Unity of Action in the Working-Class
Movement ........................................................................................................... 320
The Masses of Workers Want Unity—320. Correct Approach to Socialist Workers—
321. Ideological Differences Are No Obstacle to Co-operation—323. Necessity for
Patient Comradely Explanation—325.
4. Policy of Democratic Unity ............................................................................ 326
What a Workers’ Party Must Do—327.
Chapter 15. Alliance of the Working Class and Peasantry Under Capitalism 332
1. Struggle for the Interests of the Peasantry ...................................................... 332
Necessity for an Alliance of the Workers and Peasants—332. What Is the
Essence of the Feudal Survivals?—335. Capitalist Monopolies Are the
Chief Robbers of the Workers and Peasants—336.
2. Communists Are Defenders of the Vital Interests of the Peasant Masses ...... 338
Peasants’ Struggle for Agrarian Reform—338.
3. What a Victory of the Working Class Offers the Peasants ............................. 340
Chapter 16. The National-Liberation Movement of the Peoples Against
Imperialism ....................................................................................................... 343
1. Rise of the National-Liberation Movement and Break-up of the
Colonial System............................................................................................. 343
The Split of the World into Two Systems and the Rise of the National-Liberation
Movement—343. Driving Forces of the National-Liberation Struggle—345.
International Working-Class Movement and Struggle of the Colonial
Peoples—347. Attitude of the Working Class to Nationalism of Oppressed
Nations—348. Historic Significance of the Break-up of the Colonial System—350.
2. Main Achievements of the National-Liberation Revolutions in Asia,
Africa and Latin America .............................................................................. 351
Asian Countries that Have Taken the Path of Socialism—352. The Non-Socialist
Asian States in the Struggle for Consolidating Their Independence—354.
Awakening of the Peoples of the Arab East—355. Struggle for the Liberation
of the Peoples of Africa—357. Latin American Countries in the Struggle for
Real Independence—360.
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3. Immediate Prospects of Historical Development of the Countries Liberated
from Colonial Oppression ............................................................................. 363
4. Imperialism Is the Chief Enemy of the Liberated Countries and Peoples
Struggling for Their Independence ................................................................ 367
New Forms of Colonial Policy—367. Anti-Communism Is an Instrument for
Demoralising and Splitting the National-Liberation Movement—370.
5. The World Socialist System Is a Bulwark of the Peoples in the Struggle
Against Colonialism ...................................................................................... 372
Significance of Economic Co-operation Between the Socialist States and the
Countries of the East—373.
Chapter 17. Struggle of the Peoples of Capitalist Countries to Safeguard
Their Sovereignty ............................................................................................. 375
1. Aggravation of the Problem of Sovereignty in the Era of Imperialism .......... 375
Forms and Methods of Attacking Sovereignty—378.
2. Cosmopolitism and Not Patriotism Is the Ideology of the Imperialist
Bourgeoisie .................................................................................................... 380
3. Defence of Sovereignty Corresponds to the Interests of All the
Sound Forces of a Nation .............................................................................. 382
The Working Class Is the Guardian of the Independence of the Peoples—382.
The Workers Are Not Indifferent to the Fate of Their Country—383. The Principle
of Sovereignty Is Dear at Heart to the Broadest Sections of the People—386.
Chapter 18. Struggle in Defence of Democracy in the Bourgeois Countries ..... 388
1. Lenin on the Need to Fight for Democracy Under Capitalism ............390
2. Offensive of the Capitalist Monopolies Against the Democratic
Rights of the Working People ....................................................................... 391
The Financial Oligarchy Is an Enemy of Democracy—391. Reaction Attacks
the Vital Interests of the Working Class—393. Anti-Communism—Favourite
Tactics of the Enemies of Democracy—394. Democracy Is the Basis for Mass
National Movements—395.
3. Unity of the Democratic Forces Is an Indispensable Condition for
Victory Over Reaction and Fascism .............................................................. 396
Extension of the Social Basis of the Democratic Movement—396. The Struggle
of the Working Class for Unification of All Democratic Forces—397.
Chapter 19. The Danger of War and the Struggle of the Peoples for Peace ...... 399
1. Modern Imperialism Jeopardises the Fate of Entire Countries and Peoples .... 399
2. The International Working Class in the Struggle Against the War Danger .... 401
3. Defence of Peace Is the Most Important Democratic Task .............................. 404
4. Possibilities for Preventing War in Our Time .................................................. 405
The Forces of Peace Surpass the Forces of War—405. The World System
of Socialism Is a Mighty Bulwark of World Peace—408.
5. Basic Principles of Peace Policy ...................................................................... 409
Peaceful Coexistence and Competition of Two Systems—410. General and Complete
Disarmament Is a Reliable Guarantee of Lasting Peace—412.
6. Ways and Forms of the Struggle Against the War Danger .............................. 413
Chapter 20. On Various Forms of Transition to a Socialist Revolution ............ 416
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1. The Development of Class Antagonisms Makes a Proletarian Revolution
Inevitable ......................................................................................................... 416
Ways of Approach to the Socialist Revolution—417.
2. Democratic Movements of Our Time and the Socialist Revolution ................ 419
Some Specific Features of Modern Democratic Movements—419. Chief Enemy
and Chief Aim of the Democratic Struggle in Countries Under Monopoly
Capitalism—421. On the Development of the Democratic Phase of Revolution
into a Socialist Phase—429.
3. Ripening of the Conditions for the Proletarian Revolution ............................ 429
Revolution Is the Breaking of a Weak Link in the System of Imperialism—430.
Is Revolution Necessarily Connected with War?—431. What a Revolutionary
Situation Is—432.
4. The Transfer of Power to the Working Class ................................................. 434
Possibility of a Non-Peaceful Settlement of the Question of Power—435.
Possibility of a Peaceful Revolutionary Path—437. On Utilising Parliament
in the Revolution—440.
5. Basic Regularities of the Socialist Revolution and Their Specific
Manifestations in Different Countries ....................................................................... 442
PART FIVE
SOCIALISM AND COMMUNISM
Chapter 21. Dictatorship of the Proletariat and Proletarian Democracy .......... 445
1. The Historical Necessity for the Dictatorship of the Proletariat in the
Transition Period ........................................................................................... 445
The Inevitability of Resistance by the Reactionary Bourgeoisie—445. The
Attitude of the Working Class to Force—437. To Be a Marxist Is to Admit
the Need for the Dictatorship of the Proletariat—450.
2. Proletarian Democracy Is a New Type of Democracy ................................... 452
Democracy for the Working People—453. Special Form of the Alliance Between
the Working Class and All Working People—455. Ensuring the Rights and
Freedoms of the Working People—456. The System of Democratic
Government—457. The Marxist-Leninist Party Under the Dictatorship of the
Proletariat—458. The Role of Public Organisations—461.
3. Diverse Forms of Proletarian Dictatorship ..................................................... 463
Soviet Power—463. People’s Democracy—463. The Possibility of Other
Forms of Working-Class Power—468.
Chapter 22. The Main Economic Tasks in the Transition Period from
Capitalism to Socialism .................................................................................... 471
1. What Working-Class Power Starts With ........................................................ 472
Nationalisation of Big Industry, Transport and Banks—472. Confiscation
of Big Estates—474. What the Working People Receive Immediately After
Assuming Power—475.
2. Ways of Abolishing Multiplicity of Economic Forms ................................... 476
Three Basic Forms of Economic Structure in the Transition Period—46. Economic
Bond Between Town and Country—479. Producer Co-operatives Among the
Peasantry—481. Elimination of Capitalist Elements in Industry—485.
3. Socialist Industrialisation ............................................................................... 487
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